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Forgive NHRA officials for wearing the silly grins. Having numerous Countdown playoff spots still available with just one race to go is a dream scenario, writes Bill Stephens.

Mike Neff can cross one goal off his to-do list: advancing to the NHRA's Countdown to 1. Can his first victory -- and perhaps even a Funny Car title -- be too far behind?

Jack Beckman earned the victory in Pennsylvania only a week after blowing the final in Minnesota. It was a special win against a special opponent -- Frank Hawley -- to secure a spot in the Countdown, writes Bill Stephens.

Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Joe Amato, Don Prudhomme, Connie Kalitta. The list of legendary drag racers inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is an elite group. Where does newest inductee John Force rank among them? Do you need to ask?

Twenty-two drivers have clinched spots in the NHRA's coveted Countdown to One playoffs. That means only 18 slots remain as the POWERade Series turns to Reading, Pa., writes Bill Stephens.

Warren Johnson dominated Pro stock for two decades, but hasn't won a title since 2001. You can bet he's working feverishly to rectify that, writes Bill Stephens.

Cory McClenathan is one of the most celebrated names in drag racing never to have won a POWERade title. After locking up a berth in the 2008 Countdown to One, Cory Mac gets another shot at that elusive world championship, writes Bill Stephens.

Countdown contenders are running out of time in the NHRA POWERade Series. One driver who doesn't have to worry is Tony Schumacher, who has won eight of 15 national events in the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster.

Kalitta Motorsports will honor the memory of Scott Kalitta by reactivating the DHL Funny Car for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indy. Driver Jeff Arend just hopes to do the Kalitta family proud, writes Bill Stephens.

Morgan Lucas and Bob Tasca are running out of time. The Countdown to One looms, and both Lucas and Tasca are on the outside looking in, writes Bill Stephens.

Dave Connolly missed the first five races because he didn't have a sponsor. Look at him now. After beating teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. on a holeshot in Sunday's Pro Stock final, Connolly is back in a big way, writes Bill Stephens.

Robert Hight may have given John Force Racing a big boost. Tony Schumacher pulled off what few before him have while Dave Connolly and Matt Guidera made the closing round of the Western Swing pay off big, writes Bill Stephens.

You'll hear a collective sigh of relief after this weekend's NHRA POWERade Series event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. The three-race grind called the Western Swing has been that demanding, writes Bill Stephens.

Points leaders in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will take a back seat to the drivers scrambling to make the Countdown to 10 this weekend at Pacific Raceways near Seattle, writes Bill Stephens.

Some fans applaud it. Others despise it. Did the safety-conscious NHRA do the right thing by shortening the quarter-mile drag strip to 1,000 feet? The debate continues, writes Bill Stephens.

The rich got richer at Bandimere Speedway outside Denver to start the Western Swing, with Tony Schumacher leading the way with another dominating performance in Top Fuel, writes Bill Stephens.